Snap
by howlittleyoutrustme
Summary: Swan Queen. Previously a two-shot. Once something has snapped, it's hard to go back. Stuck in a room together with some apple cider, lines are crossed between Regina and Emma and odd feelings are evoked. Pre 1x22, slightly AU in that Regina and Emma don't actually hate each other's guts. M for slightly strong language and the possibility of other mature themes, not smut.
1. Chapter 1

This is purely for my entertainment only, but if you like it, please review, and I'll build on the story. Enjoy this, and thanks if you're reading it.

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**Snap.**

"**Are you serious, Miss Swan? I invite you into my house to speak to you about my son's birthday, and you break it?"**

Regina's temper finally snapped, striding over to the side of the room where Emma stood, a broken doorknob in her hand. In a quick motion, she shoved the door, before trying to pull it out towards her.

Nothing.

They were locked in.

"**Not only do you break my house, you manage to lock us in a room with a window facing nothing, no telephone, and no-one coming to the house until the morning. Are you purposely this stupid, or is it natural, pray tell me."**

Emma, hoping she looked appropriately contrite and apologetic, waited in silence until Regina had finished shouting. She had known the Mayor long enough now to realise that nothing would be accomplished by shouting back, and nothing would be accomplished until the Mayor had aired her frustration. It was true, Regina had reluctantly asked the Sheriff to her house to speak of Henry's birthday party yet, as she was leaving, Emma had pulled the door handle from the closed door, leaving them stuck inside.

As remorseful as she was trying to appear, Emma was secretly a little thrilled. She had been trying to get Regina on her own for a little while now, and nothing had worked. Perhaps it was worth the brunette being angry at her for a little while to be able to spend time with her, though neither of them actually had any choice in the matter.

"**Erm, I'm sorry Madame Mayor?", **She interjected softly, when there was a large enough gap in Regina's ranting to allow the blonde to speak. In return, the Mayor let out a harsh laugh, and fell gracefully onto the sofa behind her.

"**I'm afraid your sorry won't get us out of the room, Miss Swan"**

The brunette seemed to have calmed down, so Emma sat also, in a chair opposite the couch. Regina let out a long sigh, and her eyes slid shut, her face upturned towards the ceiling, as if she was questioning the heavens about being stuck in a room with the woman who, perhaps, detested her the most in all of Maine.

Whilst Regina's eyes were closed, Emma took a moment to take in the woman in front of her. The strong line of her jaw, the softness of her tanned skin, her long hands, as they lay clasped in her lap. Not for the first time, Emma felt an undeniable tug towards the other woman. She wanted to feel the softness of that skin for herself, to caress that jaw, to twine those hands with hers.

_'Seriously Emma?'_, she thought to herself, _'Since when did you use words like 'caress', even in your head. Snap out of it, sunshine.'_

Luckily, she managed to pull herself out of the trance just as Regina opened her eyes and looked back at the blonde. Taking in the flustered look of the pale skin, and the way Emma looked away as she met her eyes suggested mightily that the woman had been looking at her as her eyes were shut.

_'How interesting'_, Regina though, smirking a little. It surprised her that she liked the idea of Emma being attracted to her – not even in a manipulative way, that she could use in against the mother of her son, but in a slightly deeper, more warming way, that even she could not describe. Though the woman opposite her irritated her beyond belief, there was something about her that had made pushing the Sheriff against a wall and having her way with her and serious possibility at some points.

Now, taking this into account, being stuck in this room for hours might not be as boring and trying as she first thought - taking in further the colour in Emma's cheeks, and her stiff posture as the woman tried to maintain her composure.

"**Something wrong, Miss Swan? You seem awfully…flustered…?"**, though the feeling of attraction was not a fickly one, Regina could not help but toy with the blonde a little, especially as the woman had no where to run.

"**It's…nothing, Madame Mayor, nothing at all", **Emma said, setting her jaw, and willing the flush of heat in her cheeks to subside.

"**Call me Regina, as it appears we're going to be stuck together for a while. A drink?"**

"Sure thing…Regina" As she spoke, Emma wondered where the sudden spout of politeness had come from in the other woman. Of all the people Emma had known (though it was a decided small number) Regina certainly won the crown for the Queen Bitch Award. Maybe she wasn't all that bad.

As Regina stood and walked to the drinks cabinet, she deliberately bent to pick a bottle from the lower shelf, pleased to hear Emma shift around slightly on the seat behind her. Straightening out, and pouring the apple cider into two glasses, Regina turned, holding out one of the glass tumblers to Emma.

"**I hope it's okay, it's either this or blue curacao, I'm afraid"**

Emma simply shrugged, and took the drink, taking a large gulp, and swallowing before feeling the burn in caused in her throat, almost choking on it.

"**It's quite strong stuff"**, Regina warned belatedly, a barely concealed smirk on her face as she bit her lip and watched Emma.

"**Yeah, I got that."**, coughed Emma, putting her drink to one side, and trying desperately not to stick out her tongue at the bitter after taste.

To her surprise, Regina simply laughed, and knocked back the entire contents of her own cup. At Emma's surprised look, Regina chuckled and arched an eyebrow, **"Don't tell me I'm corrupting your innocence, Miss Swan."**

"**Don't flatter yourself Regina, I could drink you under the table. And it's Emma, not 'Miss Swan'."**

Sensing an opportunity, Regina leaned forwards, bringing her face closer to Emma's. Two words escaped her lips, crossing a boundary that both of them wanted to be crossed, and at the same time, did not.

"**Prove it."**

**Snap.**

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Next Chapter up shortly, hope you liked it and, if you did, please review :)


	2. Chapter 2

Well, the next chapter I guess. If you like this, and want me to continue, please review and tell me so. If not, then no harm done.

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**Snap.**

This time, not a doorknob snapping, but a glass going down on the table with a staccato snap before the hand holding it was quickly whisked away.

Regina let out a groan and threw herself lightly against the back of the sofa. How did it get to this? One moment she was angry with the Sheriff for breaking her house, the next they were drinking and laughing like old maids.

Despite all of her bravado, Emma certainly had drunken her under the table. Glass after glass, shot after shot, chug after chug, the blonde was less dizzy, and therefore closer to victory than the Mayor who, actually, was behaving far from what was befitting of her rank.

"**Jesus, Regina, can we call it quits?"**, Emma moaned, also lying back against the sofa cushions, her eyes slipping shut as her body tried to process the amount of alcohol within in. Neither of them seemed to mind that their legs were touching, tangled, even, and that Emma's hand was slung basically around Regina's neck.

"**Usually, I wouldn't back down, but as you're so fucking pretty and you have a great ass, I will."**

"**Charming, Regina, and watch your language. Are you like this all the time, or do you just repress it in company?"**

"**Whatever, Swan girl. I do what I want."**

"**Yeah, you definitely do."**

Drunk Regina was certainly proving to be interesting, a complete reversal to her usual character. Emma had expected Regina to be calling her out on propriety, but it was the other way around. She had called Emma pretty, and had been swearing like a sailor all of the competition. She wasn't even sure Regina knew what she was saying, but it sounded good from the brunette's usually bitter mouth, so the Sheriff did not try to stop it.

The first compliment had come after the first couple of drinks. Emma had said something coy and – in her opinion – rather badass. To her surprise, Regina had replied with something along the lines of, **"Even if you're hot, doesn't mean you can act so pompous." **Emma was stunned, but Regina didn't even bat an eyelid, so she went with it. Went with the 'Evil Queen' calling her 'hot'.

The next few had been scattered around, some not so casual glances at Emma's chest here, or a slurred 'you're kind of sexy' there. The most puzzling thing was that Emma didn't even mind. She was enjoying Regina with her inhibitions, and had let words tumble from her mouth, also, throughout the evening.

They had played drinking games, with Emma surpassing Regina on her knowledge of Disney films, whilst Regina impressed with Science Fiction quotes. Neither had pegged the other women for the depth of the knowledge that they were able to regurgitate.

Three and a half bottles of the apple cider has been drained, and it was now dark outside. Both women sat on the sofa for a moment, the alcohol in their bloodstreams really kicking in. Her hand moving of it's own accord, Regina caught Emma's outstretched foot in her hands, and began to massage it gently with her thumbs.

A purr of feral enjoyment came from Emma's throat as she felt the patterns being traced over her feet, and her head tipped back from the enjoyment of it, her eyes sliding shut, and her hair falling back from her face.

She barely registered it when the hand slipped to her ankle, and then her calf, continuing it's kneading journey. It was only when she felt fingers on her knee that she had the slightest inkling of where this was going. She very nearly jerked her leg away then, which would have probably saved a lot of trouble and questions. Yet, she didn't. If anything, she shifted her leg more firmly into the grip that caressed it.

* * *

**Snap.**

Another line had been crossed, this time one that both of them definitely wanted to be crossed.

Moving her hands up further still, Regina ghosted her hands around Emma's thighs, a sly smile on her face as the blonde's breathing sped up. Even completely wankered, she was good with her hands. Suddenly, she pulled her hands from the jean clad legs in front of her, and leaned forwards, the other woman doing the same at the loss of contact on her legs.

Regarding the other woman for a moment, Regina leant forwards, her hands slipping onto Emma's hips, and rubbing little patterns there for a moment, leaning closer still as she spoke.

"**I know you think I hate you but I don't. I really don't. I mean, I don't like you because you're here to ruin everything and you are, but I don't hate you. I can't hate you because you really love Henry and I really love Henry and your kind of beautiful and you're really the sheriff and everybody likes you and nobody likes me and you're hot and you make me laugh and I don't know what you do to me but you do something because you're so fucking sexy and yeah, what was I saying.", **mumbled Regina incoherently, leaning closer at every word, her hands tracing the curves of Emma's side, before continuing to murmur about things that did not connect and mostly consisted of compliments, half recognisable things about Henry, and not hating Emma at all.

Unable to stop the flow of words that were close enough now to blow stray hairs from Emma's face, the blonde did the thing the past hours (and possibly the past months) had been leading to.

Leaning forwards, she gently pressed a finger to the other woman's lips, before replacing it with her own rose-coloured lips. The moment seemed to stay forever, and all there seemed to be was their lips on each other, not moving, but at the same time, saying everything.

Then it started. Their lips set on fire, everything – everything – was on fire. Gasping a little for breath, Emma pulled back, before lunging forwards, pinning Regina beneath her on the sofa.

The little gasp that escaped Regina threw Emma completely and utterly beyond salvation. Her hands knotted in Regina's silky black hair and drew her closer, their bodies pressed flush together. Moans and heavy breathing grew thick in the air around them, as lips and bodies clashed frantically together, hands flitting under clothes and lips slipping from their counterparts to explore other parts of each other.

Emma's lips made their way along the jaw that had looked so hauntingly untouchable earlier, feeling the soft skin that had teased her so slide under her palms before reaching the slender hands that she had yearned for earlier. They nipped at Regina's neck, leaving a red mark that would leave the Mayor wearing turtlenecks for a few days, at least, before slowly to whisper something in the woman's ear, **"I couldn't hate you if I tried. All I want is you."**

A delightfully sultry moan escaped Regina's lips as this, as she turned the tables and rolled them gently off the couch to the floor, leaving her straddling Emma's hips. Sober enough now to speak coherently, she replied, **"Likewise, dear, even if it took three bottles of cider to get you to admit it."**

A gasp tore through Emma now, not one of pleasure (though Regina's hips on hers, and the lips at her neck were making it increasing hard to think) but one of shock.

Pulling away for a moment, Emma gaped like a fish out of water at the woman above her, **"You planned this?"**

"**Planning uses detail. I premeditated this. I couldn't dream up detail as good as this. Enough talking."**

Her lips back on Emma's now, without the blonde protesting, her hands slipped to the top of the skin-tight jeans beneath her. Clothing was shed and movements became more frantic, until they collapsed, wordless, next to each other, tangled and entwined with their lips still brushing together.

The last of the cider taking it's effect, they drifted asleep, a blanket flung over them in the last moments of consciousness, with their bodies being the source of their warmth.

* * *

**Snap.**

They were woken by a shove against the door, and a rattling of a handle across the room from them. Drowsily, they looked at each other, then raised they're heads.

"**Mom? Emma? You're locked in, so I can't get to you. Are you awake? What are you doing on the floor together?",** a young voice called, shocking them into clear consciousness.

Henry.

The women took in each other, their own pounding headaches, the clothes flung around the room they were in, and the position in which they were lying.

Both had identical looks of guilt, mortification, and wry amusement on their faces.

**Snap.**

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****Hope you enjoyed this two shot, I might continue it if anyone want its. If you read (put up with it) this far, thank you. :)


	3. Chapter 3

I've decided to extend this two-shot a little, and I have some ideas of where I want to go. I hope this is alright for everybody. Please review, and tell me what you think :)

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**_"Shit."_**

Regina arched her eyebrows higher as the expletive escaped Emma's lips.

**"Really, Emma. Our son is outside the door, has seen us in a compromising position, and all you can do is curse? DO something!"**, the brunette snapped in an irate whisper, giving the blonde a sharp dig in the ribs.

**"You're the Mayor, you think of something to tell him, you're good at spouting bullshit. I'm not, especially hungover"**, Emma shot back, matching the other woman's tone of voice, but being seemingly unable to move, let alone speak to the ten year old who was currently standing outside of the room.

**"How you ever got to be Sheriff is a mystery to me."**, Regina muttered under her breath, taking a moment to cast her eyes around the room. Odd pieces of clothing were scattered on the floor, and on the furniture, as were three empty bottles. It was only then that it struck Regina how what had transpired the previous night was not in the realms of normalcy, though her brain seemed to be treating it as such.

Taking a deep breath, Regina seemed to pull herself together, and called to Henry, who she could hear shuffling around outside. Failing to see any other way forward, she spoke, **"Henry, go and find to Katherine, and tell her to find some-one who can get this door open, like Marco, or Michael Tillman. Don't tell anybody else. Understand?"**

A muffled noise of affirmation came through the door, before the two women heard the heavy front door slam, and silence take the place of the boy.

Emma let out a sigh, and flopped back against the couch. It was only then that she realised how naked she really was and, with that, she flailed around for a moment, before pulling a throw from one of the chairs and pulling it around her shoulders.

Regina watched this with an amused smirk, and bit her lip, **"Why so shy, Miss Swan, I thought we knocked down any barriers of self-consciousness last night."**

**"Seriously? How are you okay with this, or calm about this, or whatever? Our son just caught us passed out on the floor together. And we…you know…last night. How are you not freaking out? How is your head not pounding?"**

Amused further by the blonde's disjointed confusion, Regina stood, and began to collect her articles of clothing from the room. Totally sanguine, and wanting to fluster Emma further, she shed the blanket that had been wrapped around her as she rose. Beginning to dress, she addressed the fumbling questions she has been asked.

**"I'm 'okay' with this because it's no big deal."**, she replied, pulling on her underwear, before shrugging into her clothes, **"It was just sex. Mind-blowing drunken sex but, nonetheless, just sex. As for Henry…I'll tell him…I'll tell him we got locked in, and we couldn't get to the heating, so it was too hot. Hence the nakedness. I'll tell him you were meant to sleep on the sofa, but you fell off it the night. He'll believe that of you. I'm not freaking out, because I have contingency plan. And my head's not pounding because I don't get hangovers. Simple"**

Emma gave a frustrated roll of her eyes, but was temporarily distracted by the brunette dressing. Her mouth hung open, and she struggling to remain coherent before looking away, and speaking.

**"Fine, whatever. Will you pass me my clothes?"**, she asked, gesturing to the remaining clothes on the floor.

**"What will you do if I don't?"**, came the reply as the clothes were scooped off the floor, but not handed to their owner.

**"Are we really doing this, Regina?"**, shot Emma exasperatedly.

**"I believe we are, Miss Swan."**

**"**_**Enough**_** with the 'Miss Swan' already. Gimme my clothes."**

**"D'you know what? No. And no again, _Miss Swan._"**

A growl crossing Emma lips, she stood, and launched herself at Regina, knocking the other woman onto the carpet, and straddling her to keep her there.

After hitting the ground with a thump, Regina looked up at Emma, **"Back where we started already?"**

**"We started on the couch, or do you not remember that?"**, Emma responded, snatching her clothes back, but not making to rise. The blanket that was wrapped around her body in a toga-type fashion slipped a little, and she quickly yanked it back up.

**"I remember everything perfectly."**

**"Do you?"**

**"Of course."**

There was silence for a few moments, both of the women's eyes darkening with lust at the memory of their actions. But then, the moment passed, and Emma rolled off Regina, breaking contact, and leaving the brunette pouting.

She stood, and snatched her clothes before Regina could steal them again.

**"Don't look."**, Emma said, glancing over her shoulder as she swiftly pulled her clothes on.

Regina pulled a innocent face, placing her hands over her eyes, before spreading her fingers to look at the woman getting changed a few metres away. Unluckily for her, the blonde spun quickly after pulling her shirt on, and caught the Mayor staring.

**"Really? _Really?_ You're a pervert."**, Emma said, with a roll of her eyes, as she pulled down her shirt sleeves.

**"I'd hardly call admiration perversion, especially as I've already appreciated your body rather personally.", **countered Regina with a sly smile.

**"Stop it! This isn't right!"**

Regina stood, and walked over to the other woman, her hands on her hips, and her bottom lip in between her teeth.

**"D'you know what? I think that, actually, for you last night was one thing that was right. Or at least, that's what you told me."**

They both stood there for a moment, in close proximity, both of their gaze's darkening slightly as they waited for the other to move.

Gently, Regina crossed the space between them, and ran her fingertips along the line of Emma's jaw. Slowly, she leaned forwards and caught the blonde's lips with her own, softly pressing their lips together. It was a few seconds before Emma responded, gently pulling Regina closer to her, placing her hands on the other woman's hips. It was a soft kiss, gentle and chaste, with none of the urgency of their last one.

Regina sighed, her eyes fluttering, before pulling away, Emma's hands still on her hips.

"**Go ahead and tell me that wasn't right."**

Emerald eyes met near black one's as they relapsed into silence.

They both jumped, and stepped back, as they heard the front door be thrown open.

**_Snap._**

Their bubble had been popped.

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There wasn't a chance to speak after that, with instructions on how to get the door open issued by Sidney, and Marco (who somehow both knew how to open closed, and locked, doors) and the inevitable questions from Henry, whilst the two men hovered awkwardly around.

**"Can Emma stay for breakfast, Mom?"**, Henry piped up as, Sidney and Marco left.

Regina turned to Emma, a question upon her face, **"If she likes."**

**"You know what, kid? I think Mary Margaret's going to be wondering where I am. I should go, but I'll drive you to school tomorrow. Goodbye, Regina."**, with that, a lingering glance, and a ruffle of Henry's hair, she left.

Henry pouted slightly, but couldn't help wondering why both of his mothers had been so distant. As he watched, Regina missed her mouth with a spoon, and stared into the distance.

Something had gone down last night, and it wasn't to do with the heating. But what was it?

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I hope you enjoyed this. The next chapter should be up shortly :)


	4. Chapter 4

Sorry for the delay in updates, my muse is patchy at the best of times. To make amends for the wait, another chapter will be up today. Enjoy, and please review :)

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**"Emma. Sit. Drink. Speak."**, came a sympathetic voice as soon as Emma stepped through the threshold of Granny's.

Compliant – for once – and totally unwilling to complain, the blonde sat, and stared at the wall opposite her until her drink was placed in front of her.

**"What happened? I heard you got stuck at Regina's house. Are you okay? She didn't bottle you or anything? No serious bodily harm?**", Red said, sliding the drink into Emma's hands and sitting down in the vinyl seat beside her, **"Speak to me, Emma, c'mon."**

**"Worse."**, Emma croaked after a few seconds, **"So much worse."**

**"Oh god. She didn't tear you up emotionally did she? Because when she does that, seriously, nothing will fix you."**

**"Worse still."**

Red sat frozen, her face bemused, with one eyebrow raised. She watched Emma's face carefully, jabbing the blonde in the ribcage to try and tease out a further response, **"I can't help you unless you tell me. C'mon Emma, you know I'm just here for you. No judgement. Nothing."**

**"This is beyond anything else. Seriously."**, Emma replied, turning her head to look at Ruby, **"What I'm about to say, you **_**will not**_** repeat to anybody else, under duress or otherwise. Got it?"**

**"Grow up Emma, what could possibly involve you and Regina being locked in a room together overnight that could possibly be super top secre-"**, Ruby choked abruptly into silence, her eyebrows shooting up her forehead as she did so, **"Emma. You didn't. Seriously, you didn't, did you? Oh god. Oh my god. Seriously. You did. Aha! You did the Mayor! You fucked Regina!"** The brunette collapsed into a fit of laughter, her shoulders shaking frantically on the table.

**"Ruby! It's not funny! Keep your voice down!"**, Emma hissed frantically, before her resolve began to crack, and she began to giggle as well.

Slumping forwards onto the table, Emma was silent but for laughter, her eyes streaming almost as much as Ruby's as they fell about clutching their sides.

**"I cannot believe you! How did it happen! What made that happen?!"**

**"Uh, I don't know, it just kind of did."**

**"Finally."**, Ruby interjected smarmily, with a coy smile.

**"Screw you."**

**"No, apparently you only screw royalty. Ouch, don't punch me."**

**"You deserved it."**

**"At least I didn't do the Mayor. Was she good?"**

**"I said shut up!"**

**"Emma and Regina sitting in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N—OUCH!"**

**"That's it! I told you to shut up."**

With that, Emma launched herself at Ruby swiping at the waitress' mouth, trying to cover it, and hitting her shoulder instead. Like preschoolers, they rocked back and forth on the seat, trying to best each other with playful blows and threats. When Emma finally had a hand over Ruby's mouth, and her arms pinned she spoke, triumphantly (and rather prissily), **"I told you so."**

A throat being cleared next to them promptly startled sense into Emma, and she turned, knocking her hot chocolate over with a clumsy swipe of her hands.

**"Shit."**

She looked up to see a pair of near black eyes gazing mutely at her, with a curled lip of disgust accompanying them.

**"Miss Swan. You still haven't filed the paperwork I asked for. Too busy being juvenile, I assume. I expect it on my desk this evening. Or are you just going to walk out again? See to it that you actually stick to rules of etiquette this time.**", came the ice cold voice that accompanied the eyes, lip and throat clear, taking in the spilt cocoa that was dripping onto Emma's lap, and the worried blue gaze that was caught in the spell of the harsh words.

A swish of black shirt shirt, catching Emma in the face, temporarily blinded the blonde, so she heard only the sharp, rhythmic click of heels walking away, before the jingle of the bell that indicated an exit.

A groan was the only noise Emma made, throwing her head onto her folded arms, before jumping back as her forehead made contact with the spilt drink, leaving a slight red burn from the heat.

**"You walked out of her house this morning without saying anything?"** asked Ruby incredulously,** "Even with the Mayor, I'd thought you'd have better manners. I'm ashamed, Emma."**

A growl escaped the blonde's throat as she moped at her sodden trouser leg, stoically ignoring the dark gaze that was fixed reproachfully on her.

**"It's none of your business what I do, Ruby."**, she shot pointedly at the brunette beside, who had grabbed the now empty mug, and was stood, waiting to walk away.

**"Maybe it isn't, but unless you're careful, it will be the whole towns business. Maybe you didn't mean to sleep with her. So tell her. But if you did, and you wanted to, why run away from it. You'll just cause trouble. And we don't need anymore Regina related trouble around here."**

Still not making eye contact, Emma slipped past Ruby, out of the booth, then out of the café. As she left, a voice called after her, **"You need to sop running away from things, Emma."**

"Like hell I do", muttered Emma as she left, feeling as sense of _l'esprit de l'escalier_ come over her as she grumbled to herself under her breath, making her way towards the Sheriff's office, and her decrepit yellow beetle.

* * *

**"You did what?!"**

**"Jeez, seriously, this isn't exactly the crime of the century, why is everybody acting like this?"**, Emma said, with a roll of her eyes.

**"Because, Emma, you slept with some-one, and rudely left afterwards. How could you do that?**", an irate Mary Margaret replied.

**"Oh, okay, right, so what did you do with Doctor Whale then hmm…?"**, Emma shot back, winding the telephone cord so tightly around her knuckles so that they bulged and turned white.

**"That was different, don't bring it up. Emma, seriously, I will say this once, and once only. Talk to Regina, before she does something that will ruin you. Because she will, and no-one is going to help you if she does."**

**"Thanks for the words of support and encouragement, I really appreciate you bullshit words of wisdom."**, said Emma, before realising she was talking to the dial tone, and that Mary Margaret had hung up on her.

**"Stupid moralistic bitch."**, Emma muttered, throwing the phone down, and pulling the pile of paperwork towards her. She couldn't face Regina. Not now. Instead, she called up some she really did not want to.

**"Hey, Sidney. I'm a little tied up right now, could you drop this paperwork to Regina for me? Please? Thank you, you're a lifesaver. It will be in a mailbox outside. Uh huh. Yeah. See you in a minute."**

As soon as the phone was back in it's cradle, Emma let out a large sigh. There was no way she was repeating her conversation with Mary Margaret in person. No. Fucking. Way. She'd sleep here tonight, and try to lie low for a few days. It couldn't be that difficult, right?

She crawled onto the couch, and tugged the throw over her, pulling it right up to her chin, the way she slept. All day, she had been fighting to keep certain images from floating into her head. She had been offhand and insouciant about the entire incident with the two people she had spoken to about it – even to herself – but there was no stopping it now. She bit her lip as images of soft pale skin consumed her, and lulled her into fitful sleep.

* * *

As Sidney left her office, after being brushed off most brusquely, Regina stared at the paperwork, and the messy, nearly illegible handwriting on it.

'_Of all the people you could have seduced, it had to be the one who was great in bed, and shit at actually having any kind of association with anyone. Nice going, Regina, really.'_

Henry had been watching her closely all day, and had avoided talking about Emma after she had snapped at him for probing around what had happened. "Really Henry! It's simple. Emma had to stay the night. That's all. I simply do not understand why you keep questioning me on this. I'm your mother. Listen to me.", were the words she had shot at her, bowing his head and keeping him silent for the rest of the day. She regretted them as soon as they were out of her mouth, but she could not recall them, nor cancel them out now.

She could not recall her night with Emma, nor cancel it out. But she could go back to the way things were. Externally, at least. Internally, well that was an entirely different matter. Her mind kept darting back to her fingers twined in blonde hair, lips on hers, brilliant blue eyes sparkling at her. Regina could not let it show how much Emma had gotten under her skin in just one night. She couldn't. So, she would be cold, brutal, and acid laced towards the blonde. She could do that, at least for a while. She could be evil.

After all, sometimes, you had to be the bad guy.

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Hang in there, folks, there's more on the way ;p


	5. Chapter 5

Once again, I hope you enjoy this, and please review. I admit, I stole the idea of Mary Margaret's monologue from an episode of Grey's. So this is a disclaimer, yes, it may have tweaked it a little, but it is not mine. It belongs to Shondaland, and Shonda Rhimes. Also, as I'm sure you know, the quoted poem is Robert Frost's 'Fire and Ice' – linked here [ poem/fire-and-ice/] That's all :)

* * *

_"Some say the world will end in fire,_

_Some say in ice. _

_From what I've tasted of desire _

_I hold with those who favor fire. _

_But if it had to perish twice, _

_I think I know enough of hate _

_To say that for destruction ice _

_Is also great _

_And would suffice."_

* * *

Mary Margaret looked imploringly at Ruby, and began to speak once more.

**"You have to do something. And quickly. They will destroy this town if they carry on like this. For all of our sakes, do something."**

It had been hellish in Storybrooke for weeks now. It was like two forces of nature had turned on each other, and were warring frantically, for fear that they might actually find something to like about each other. So, actually, it was _like_ two forces of nature were fighting. Two forces of nature _were_ fighting, for the aforementioned reasons. And everybody else was getting caught in the crossfire. There had been many casualties, and they were mounting more and more each day.

**"It's awful being with them, it's tense and it's cold and it's dangerous. It feels like defusing a bomb, in a haunted house, that's built on a minefield, and there are bears everywhere, and the bears have knives. And the knives are serrated and dipped in Curare. We need help, or we will all be stabbed to death by the bears with poison knives in the haunted house of Maine. You have to tame them, or you will die, we will all die and we will all die so very, very painfully. Their hate will destroy this town and then the whole state, then the country and then the entire planet. I am counting on you Ruby… We're all counting on you. You have to do something, because only you can."**

The elfish little woman sucked in a deep breath – for she had not taken one for the entirety of her little speech – and gave the other woman the most sad and endearing look she could muster.

There was silence for a few moments, before a sigh escaped Ruby's lips, and she nodded.

**"Right, I'll help. What's the plan?"**, she said quietly, rubbing her hands together.

**"We don't have one. That's where you come in."**

Sighing, and rubbing her temples Ruby began to think, _'this is going to be tough. They won't even stay in the same vicinity as each other without going for each other's throats.'_

* * *

Soon after the paperwork incident, ignoring each other icily and stoically quickly changing to ripping each other to shreds in other people's company, and even worse when they were on their own (which was rarely allowed to happen).

Blows had been traded – both emotionally and physically – and they had come close to allowed the incident to reoccurring – more than once, in the heated moments of their fights. After all, the tension between was not based on anger at all, the anger just grew from it. It was from desire that Storybrooke's natural calm had been disturbed.

Robert Frost's 'Fire and Ice' had quickly become the most quoted literature in Storybrooke, with the entire town now knowing what had happened in the 'incident', and what had caused them to be in the state that they were in.

The world was most definitely ending in fire, although it was accompanied by small amounts of ice for good measure.

Regina refused to speak to Emma civilly because she ran away from her with no explanation or reason. Emma was doing the same, because Regina refused to give her a chance to articulate how she felt, and why she ran away.

Henry was, of course, caught right in the middle, with Regina unable to refuse him seeing Emma, and Emma unable to avoid Regina without giving up Henry. He was medium between them, and regulated their more severe arguments with ease after the first few fights between them. Secretly, he thought they were acting like a warring couple after one of them had done something 'wrong'.

In his opinion, they were being pig headed. Both of them. And neither of them would listen to him, each other, or anybody who had tried to help. Due to this, he had turned to Mary Margaret for help. Who, in turn, turned to Ruby for help. Who, in turn, had found the solution to their problems. It was perfect, and he was a little grossed out by it, as he had found out what really happened when they were locked in the room together, though both of his parents still denied anything insinuated by him.

After two months of enduring the fighting, it was time to put their plan into action.

For Henry, this even took precedence over Operation Cobra. And that was saying something.

* * *

**"Emma! Wake up!"**, came a voice, accompanied by a rough hand on her shoulder, and the harshness of a light being switched on.

Groggy, Emma woke, and rolled out of her bed, squinting at the light, and the source of the rude awakening. **"What the hell, Mary Margaret?"**, she snapped at the woman in front of her.

**"There's been a break in at the office. You need to go there now!"**

Emma let out a groan, and swiped her jacket from the mess of clothes on her floor, **"I'm going, I'm going. This better be bloody good."**

She strode from the apartment, with short, angry steps, hitting a run as she cleared the front door.

**"Easy. The Swan has left the building. Operation Truce is go."**, Mary Margaret whispered into the small black handset she had hidden behind her back, and hearing a few crackling words in response, grinned. Emma was so gullible.

* * *

Regina was woken up a shrilly-ringing phone. It was the number she most hated to see on the little polytechnic display beside her.

**"What now, Sheriff?"**, she spat coldly, running a hand through her hair and glancing at the illuminated red numbers on the clock next to her bed.

**"Erm, it's not Emma, Madame Mayor. It's Katherine. There's something going down at the Sheriff's office, I don't know what. Emma's not there yet, so I think you should check it out before she gets there. Sorry, I have to go! Bye!"**

The shrill dial tone left Regina's head reeling as she took in what had been said. It was late at night, and she had apparently started to see Emma's number on her phone when anyone rang her. How spectacular.

**"Some Sheriff, if I get there before she does."**, she muttered mutinously, as she slipped into some presentable clothes, rather than her nightdress, and pulled a brush quickly through her hair.

She poked her head around Henry's door, to see him sleeping soundly, before gliding downstairs, and into her car, heading for the Sheriff's Office.

Back in his room, a sleep tousled Henry emerged from under the sheets, speaking excitedly into the walkie-talkie.

**"The Queen is on her way. Positions people."**

* * *

Regina arrived quickly at the building, ducking inside quietly, a heavy flashlight in her hand. She slipped upstairs, heading for the holding cells and the main office.

She nearly jumped out of her skin at the sound of footsteps behind her.

**"What are **_**you**_** doing here?"**, came a hostile voice, emerging from the shadows to show a blonde head, and cold eyes.

**"The job my incompetent Sheriff supposedly cannot do, **_**Miss Swan**_**"**, was the acid laden reply, with narrowed eyes, and a sneer supporting the words.

A snort of derision slipped from Emma's lips as she strode forwards, snatching the flashlight from Regina's hands, **"What were you going to do**_**, bludgeon me to death**_** with a MagLight?"**

**"I believe that was the plan, yes."**

**"Go home Madame Mayor, you'll just get in the way."**

**"I'm only here to make sure you don't make yourself look anymore moronic than usual."**

**"And why would you do that?"**

**"Because it reflects badly on me if my employees are total philistines."**

**"You're a poisonous bitch."**

**"And you're a dipshit, can we agree on that?"**

* * *

With a roll of her eyes, Emma shouldered past Regina, and strode towards the office, upholstering her gun as she did so. Keeping closer than she would like, Regina followed, being careful not to come into contact with the blonde.

They moved stealthily, first through the hallway, then the office, checking the rooms one by one. Finally, they moved towards the holding cells. Emma froze as she saw a hunched shape in the corner of a cell.

**"Hello? Anybody there?"**, she called carefully, stepping forwards.

**"That's right, tell the serial killer that we're here and ready to be murdered."**, Regina whispered bitchily.

**"Will you shut the fuck up, for once in your pathetic, power mongering life?"**

Emma stepped forwards into the cell, the brunette behind her stepping forwards next to her until they were both within the bars.

Suddenly the lighted flickering on, and they were both pushed forwards into the cell. They landed in a heap on the floor, tangled together, with Emma's hair in Regina's mouth, and their legs & limbs twined around each other.

As more lights turned on, a person was revealed, locking the cell door.

**"Ruby! What the hell are you doing?"**, Emma shouted, her eyes blazing, and her mouth turning down at the corners, **"I could have killed you."**

**"Stopping you two from tearing this town any further apart."**, the brunette replied sternly, stepping away from the cell door with the key, **"And no, Emma, you couldn't have, because Mary Margaret took the ammunition from your gun before you left."**

Regina's face grew dark and an inhuman sound escaped her lips, **"I swear to God, if you don't let us out, I'll make your life hell.**"

**"Both of you have already made all of our lives hell for the past few months. And you're not being let out until you decide to stop. So, here's the deal. You to will be locked together in the cell. There are blankets, water, food – I'll bring you more this evening. And you can stay in this cell together until you kill each other, love each, fuck out your sexual tension – or sort out whatever you're fighting about. Entiendes, chicas?"**, Ruby replied, an air of satisfaction surrounding her, **"Night night, have a great one!"**

With that, an a whistle on her lips, the brunette left the room, leaving Regina and Emma in stunned silence on the floor, watching the other's reaction.

**"Well shit."**

**"Indeed, Miss Swan, indeed."**

As Ruby left, she smiled. That was their first exchange in over sixty days that did not include one of them abusing each other. Progress was being made already.

* * *

I hope you enjoyed this :)


	6. Chapter 6

Eh, long time since the last update. I wrote this mostly for my own peace of mind, I'm tired of feeling guilty about not having written anything. Anyway, if you do read this, I hope you enjoy it.

* * *

As Ruby left, their predicament slowly sank in, and they became away of the way they were lying on top of one another.

Emma turned her head to look at Regina and was surprised to find dark eyes staring up her. Something in those eyes stirred something in the pit of Emma's stomach and she hurriedly quashed it.

They stayed in silence for a moment, before Emma got a grip on herself, and rolled off the other woman, scooting to the opposite side of the cell.

Silence fell over the two

* * *

"**This is your fault."**

"**My fault? MY fault, Miss Swan? I think you'll find this is firmly on your foolish shoulders"**

"**Me? This is you and your ice queen antics, and you running around the town being an utter bitch"**

"**Rather a icy bitch than a the emotional composition of a grumpy, hormonal 14 year old boy, dear"**

"**Oh yeah, right, I forgot people preferred a dominating harpy over a fairly decent, average human being who can function normally around other people."**

"**I think that depends who you ask, actually." **

"**I hate you."**

"**Oh, well, there's a revelation. I thought I had made it fairly clear that the feeling is mutual."**

"**Shut up."**

"**Gladly."**

The silence in the cell swelled once more, surrounding the two women sitting on opposite sides of the small room. They had been there for half an hour, tops, and had been at each other's throats the entire time.

It was cold in the cell, making the women's shoulders nearly as cold physically as they were metaphorically.

Emma's jaw was set, determinedly staring at a chip in the wall two feet to Regina's right, while Regina's furiously gaze was locked on the spot where the ceiling met the wall in the corner opposite her.

An onlooker would have seen two adult women acting like sulky children, avoiding each other's eyes.

Regina had barely noticed the temperature until Emma gruffly spoke up from her spot about four feet away.

"**There're blankets in the box"**, she blurted out, looking fixedly at the ground in front of her.

"**What?"**, Regina replied, shocked from her moody reverie

"**Blankets. Box. You're shivering. Unless you want your heart to be frozen even more solidly, you should get under them."**

"**How thoughtful, Miss Swan",** Regina replied acerbically,** "I didn't know you cared for my wellbeing".**

A bitter snort was the only reply from the blonde, who was still looking away.

Regina was tempted, out of stubbornness, not to take the blankets, but the cold won over quickly and she shuffled to the box, pulling out the musty blanket and slinging it over her shoulders.

Silence swallowed them once more, before Regina cleared her throat before muttering something.

"**What was that?"**, Emma asked, her eyes narrowing

"**Nothing."**

"**It was something. Tell me."**

"**No."**

"**Regina! For fuck's sake, don't be such a kid!"**

"**I'm the immature one? I don't think you have any right to call anybody childish as you appear to subsist on cocoa and bear claws, and wear clothes from some decade that got wiped out of history due to its fashion being so terrible"**, spat Regina, acid dripping from her words

"**I'm not going to do this. I've had enough of you.", **Emma hissed back, pulling her feet up to her chest in an effort to get as far away from Regina as possible.

The room lapsed into taciturnity once more. They stayed that way for at least 10 full minutes before Regina rolled her eyes and spoke.

"**I said thank you, Miss Swan. Satisfied?"**, she said, shrugging, trying desperately to make it seem as thought the words hadn't cost her anything to say.

In truth, each one chipped away at the little dignity she felt she still regained in the eyes of this woman. She set her jaw, and looked away, raising her chin defensively.

"**I'm sorry"**.

Those were the last words Regina expected to come from her adversary's mouth. She turned, her mouth hanging slightly open as she regarded the blonde.

Emma grinned crookedly at the expression on Regina's face, **"Oh, come on, it can't be that surprising. I was a jerk."**

The brunette shook her head in confusion, **"You're apologizing?"**

"**Yes…"**, replied Emma, confused now

"**But I was the one being…bitchy"**, Regina said, her eyebrows furrowed, looking defensive still

"**Please, I was so out bitching you"**

Regina rolled her eyes at Emma's weak attempt at a joke and watched the blonde for a moment. Emma blushed under the close observation and looked away, rubbing the back of her neck awkwardly.

"**Are you cold?"**, the brunette asked suddenly, conscious of the thin jacket and shirt the blonde was wearing and the returning chill of the stone walls in the cell.

Emma shrugged in reply, **"A little."** The goose bumps on her arms said otherwise

Before she could bow out, Regina stood and walked over to Emma, settling next to her, and tossing the blanket over both of their shoulders.

"**Thanks."**, Emma said quietly, shivering a little though whether at the cold, or Regina's sudden proximity, she did not know.

Once again, they fell into silence, the sound of their breathing filling the room. Though they were sitting next to each other, both remained tense. After all, a few short, though civil, exchanges couldn't melt month's worth of ice that hung between the two.

Still, it was a start.

* * *

The lights flickered off at some point, startling Regina, until Emma explained that any lights left on went off at 2am every night.

They sat in silence for a time, both hyper aware of the others presence and both trying desperately to hide their reaction to the other. Emma dozed in and out of consciousness for around an hour, her eyes locking onto to Regina in the pale light filtering through the window when she woke for brief periods.

Regina was not awake, nor did she sleep. She seemed to slip off into a trance, her eyes half closed and she stared at the bars of the cell, willing them to break open so she could run away from having to confront the problem that was lightly snoring next to her.

The blonde was…cute…and however much Regina tried to escape it, after over a month of fighting the brunette's feeling of attraction to the blonde had diminished none. In fact, as the fighting increased, it just seemed to well, making heated arguments incredibly difficult. One small slip, and the heated words could have very easily become physical.

Very physical.

Still, there was the fact that Emma had walked out straight after the night they had spent together; a night that was very definitely not a bad one, as far as she could recall. She knew for a fact that it wasn't bad for Emma at the time.

So why did the blonde leave?

The sex was good, more than good – great, even – but the blonde still left. And had still not tried to reconcile with her. Not a word about it in months. Not even when they were fighting.

Shaking her head, Regina tried to distract herself, succeeding only in waking Emma, and shaking the blanket from her own shoulders. She stood abruptly, stalking across the room to sit on the narrow bunk; her back ramrod straight as she ground her teeth together in frustration.

She didn't realise the blonde was awake until she heard movement beside her.

"**Are you okay?"**, Emma asked, standing in front of the rigid brunette

"**You need to stop doing this."**, Regina said in a monotone, without thinking first

"**Doing what?"**. With furrowed eyebrows, Emma folded her arms, looking down at Regina

"**Being nice. Acting like you give a shit."**, Regina said, more feeling in her voice this time, surprising herself at her use of profanity. It wasn't like her – the word felt foul on her tongue.

"**Have you considered that's maybe because I do give a shit about you?"**, came the bemused reply

"**I hadn't considered that, no.", **Regina said, finally looking up and meeting Emma's eyes, her voice steely, **"Seeing as you ran from my house after we…we **_**fucked**_**…and then said nothing about it afterwards."**

Emma groaned, and put a hand over her face, shaking her head. Hearing Regina begin to speak again, she cut her off with an outstretched hand, **"So you think I used you as a quick one night stand to get my rocks off?"**

A brief, harsh sound of affirmation slipped from Regina's lips and she looked away, humiliated at the admission that she cared about it. She would love for it to have been something she could have forgotten about, but flashes of it had haunted her since. She drew breath, and continued.

"**It obviously meant nothing to you, after we had quite readily established that it was **_**something**_** as you ran away from me on the day, and have been running from me since? Do you have any idea what it was like? To have had you, and then for it to have been one massive mistake for the other person, and for them to pretend it never happened? For them to quite obviously detest you, despite the fact you thought you have moved on from that? Well, do you, Miss Swan, because I certainly do."**

"**You're really fucking stupid sometimes, you know that, Regina?"**, Emma said, a laugh in her voice as she shook her head.

Offended by the laugh in the other woman's voice, Regina stood and pushed Emma back, sending her stumbling.

"**Don't laugh at me."**, Regina spat, **"It's all very funny for you, I suppose? To have had me and then for me to be waiting for you to acknowledge it for two fucking months. Fuck you, Emma."**

The physical blow, and the vitriol of Regina's words took Emma aback. Her eyes blazed as she stepped forwards, into the brunette's personal space.

"**No, fuck you."**, she spat, indignant at the underserved hatred being thrown her way, **"You've given me no chance to tell you what I thought, what I was thinking. From the second I walked out of your house, you've been cold and unapproachable. I got the impression that you thought it was all as mistake. I was **_**confused**_**. Of course I left. I didn't know whether I hated you or love being with you. You never gave me a chance. I wanted you then. I've wanted you since? Do you not think I've felt sick, lusting over somebody who detested me? So fuck you, you've made us both miserable."**

Quick as snake, Regina's hand flashed out and made sharp contact with Emma's cheek. Breathing heavily, she stared at the blonde, who was flushing red, with rage and lust darkening her eyes.

In a quick step, Emma had Regina nearly backed against the exposed brick wall of the cell, their breathing ragged as they stared each other down. Regina reached out to push Emma away, but strong hands grabbed her wrists.

They wrestled for a moment, before Regina gave it, and dropped her arms, stopped her pushing. She did not want to be separated from Emma. Unconsciously, she curved her body to Emma's, her eyes near black in the half-light.

It took a moment, Regina's faces centimetres from Emma's, hovering there for a second, her lips slightly parted as she took in the woman she was wrapped around. Her tongue darted out and wet her lips without any conscious thought of doing so.

That was all it took for Emma. In second, her lips were on Regina's in a bruising kiss, and they slammed against the wall in a violent tangle of limbs and lips.

_**Snap.**_ The last of their restraint had disappeared.

* * *

I hope this was okay.


End file.
